St. Mary's University

St. Mary’s University, as a Catholic Marianist University, fosters the formation of people in faith and educates leaders for the common good through community, integrated liberal arts and professional education, and academic excellence.

The St. Mary’s University mission statement is a reflection of the Characteristics of Marianist Universities. There are five elements that characterize the Marianist approach to education:

• Educate for formation in faith.
• Provide an integral quality education.
• Educate in the family spirit.
• Educate for service, justice and peace.
• Educate for adaptation and change.

The Core Curriculum at St. Mary’s University has a privileged role in the education of its students in accord with its mission as a liberal arts institution. More than a set of disparate general education requirements, and in distinction (but not separation) from professional, major, and co-curricular education, the Core Curriculum has the specific purpose of explicitly engaging students with the perennial question at the heart of the liberal arts.

The Office of Financial Assistance connects students and families with the financial resources required to finance a St. Mary’s education. Our staff works personally with students and their families to explain available options and help them to choose the best methods to meet the cost of attendance.

STRIVE Career Center at St. Mary’s University — Successful, Transformative Results from Innovative Vocational Experiences — engages campus and community partners to provide vocational and experiential education opportunities for our students.

These innovative programs engage alumni, parents, faculty, staff, employers and citizens of the community in strategic partnerships. Our educational purpose is to develop essential life skills and career competencies that bridge professionalism with character-driven values, to inspire students and alumni to pursue a successful career journey.

Living on campus can be one of the most rewarding experiences of a lifetime. It is an opportunity to meet people who may become long-lasting friends and also a chance to discover more about yourself. It is a time for new challenges, new friends and new experiences. Attending college is a big transition for students, and living on campus in a supportive educational environment is an excellent way to make that transition easier.

Brothers of the Society of Mary (Marianists) brought Catholic education to San Antonio when, in 1852, they opened St. Mary’s Institute. St. Mary’s University, an outgrowth of the brothers’ first educational undertaking, committed itself to the Marianist ideals of academic excellence, ethical commitment and service to the community.

The Marianists who established St. Mary’s were members of a religious order known as the Society of Mary, founded in 1817 by Blessed William Joseph Chaminade, a French priest who nurtured an idea of forming lay and religious societies that would reenergize the Christian faith in the post-French Revolution era. Four French Marianist missionaries traveled to Texas to open a school at the behest of Galveston Bishop John Mary Odin. In May 1852, these brothers stepped off the Indianola stagecoach to get a glimpse of downtown San Antonio where they would establish their school.